Tag Archives: ahab

The Bachelor and the Concept of Freedom

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In chapter 115, the Pequod gets an interesting interaction with the ship called “The Bachelor.” This ship is characterized as joyous and lucky—as they have an abundance of materials and spoils from whaling as they return home. This ship is particularly important in this moment because it is meant to contrast against the mood of the Pequod. Whereas the Bachelor has been able to fulfill its purpose as a whaling ship, the Pequod has yet to achieve their goal in killing the White whale. The Pequod is still bound by their mission, in contrast to the Bachelor who is sailing for home. In this scene, the ship they encounter is meant to be a representation of freedom, hence the name “The Bachelor.” A Bachelor, by definition, is someone who has not been married and is therefore “free” or available, in regard to dating. In the context of whaling, the Bachelor ship represents freedom in the sense that they are not bound by a particular mission—they achieved their goals, and they get to go home. 

And thus, while the one ship went cheerily before the breeze, the other stubbornly fought against it; and so the two vessels parted; the crew of the Pequod looking with grave, lingering glances towards the receding Bachelor; but the Bachelor’s men never heeding their gaze for the lively revelry they were in.” (538). 

In this moment, we witness the fleeting freedom of the Bachelor and the longingness of the crew. However, unlike the Bachelor, they are bound by Ahab’s continued obsession that prohibits them from the same type of freedom. The captain of the Bachelor even beckons Ahab to board his ship, yet Ahab rejects this, insisting on hunting the whale and asking the other captain if he’s seen it. Despite this generous offer, Ahab is blinded by his pursuit, and rejects this offer, and in a sense, he metaphorically forgoing freedom of any kind—imprisoning himself in his mad obsession. He doesn’t want freedom; he wants the White Whale by any means necessary. The brief encounter with the Bachelor shows us the current sanity of the current characters. With the crew slowly sinking into despair and their captain quickly descending into madness.  

Forged in Blood: Week 12

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When reading chapter 113, “The Forge” I came across the part in Latin and was confused. After some investigation online, I found out that “Ego non baptizo te in nomine patris, sed in nomine diaobli” means “I do not baptize you in the name of the father, but in the name of the devil”. I found this part of the plot to be quite interesting. There has been quite a strong focus on religion, specifically Christianity, and this seems to be sending the boat, led by Ahab, in quite a dark place in a Christian context. Just before this part, Stubb even says “What’s that bunch of lucifers dodging about there for?”. He says this while the weapon is being forged, and it does make me think of the implications of fire and that which burns–associated with hell. Is the Pequod having its fall from Heaven? Was it even there in the first place? 

Another very important part of this passage is that Ahab uses Tashtego, Queequeg, and Daggoo to put out the weapon after its been forged. Usually, its cooled using water, but Ahab literally brands the three men instead, and then says the verse in Latin. Water is used in baptism when one is dunked beneath it, symbolizing spiritual cleansing and new life in Christ, and instead the blood of three men not in power is being used by a man in power. They are in a position where they can’t say no, and the hierarchy of this ship is being violently reinforced, as it was in previous chapters as well. To me, baptizing a weapon in the name of the Devil seems to be an ill omen filled with ill intent, especially when it comes at the price of harming another. It also shows how out of touch from reality Ahab is becoming in his power and obsession.

Ahab – a brother of the sea

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In Chapter 116, “The Dying Whale,” we see that the Pequod has killed four whales, one of which was killed by Ahab’s boat. In this chapter Ahab opens up more about his own turmoil and inner thoughts, what he believes in and what he worships. While killing the the whale, he notices that the whales always turn their heads towards the sun, as if they were worshipping it in their final moments; “He too worships fire; most faithful, broad, baronial vassal of the sun!” (Melville 539). Ahab then goes on to discuss the similarities between both living things on land and in sea. This part of the novel almost feels like I’m reading a Shakespeare play, I can feel and understand the emotions that Ahab is feeling, his deep feelings of connection with the ocean. Ahab tells us that he may have been born on sea, but he belongs on the water; “Born of earth, yet suckled by the sea; though hill and valley mothered me, ye billows are my foster-brothers!” (Melville 540).

I think the purpose that this chapter is serving is to remind us that both man and whale, livings things on land and living things in the sea, are all connected and the same. A whale may worship the sun, the same way a human might’ve in ancient times. We are no better than those animals that live in the ocean, they are our brothers and sisters of this earth, and it is important for us to recognize that. However, of course, this doesn’t stop Ahab and the rest of the Pequod from killing whales for money, perhaps showing the superiority complex that humans have developed.

Blame God

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Reading Starbuck’s last plea to Ahab in “The Symphony” was very disheartening because we know that Ahab couldn’t be swayed from his crusade. Starbuck, the voice of reason, or our symbol for “we the people”, is practically begging to change course back to Nantucket, but his words fall on deaf ears as “Ahab’s glance was averted; like a blighted fruit tree he shook, and cast his last, cindered apple to the soil” (592). Ahab can’t even bother to look at his first mate during his request, “blighted” by whatever this force is that keeps him on his mission, the “last, cindered apple” of any hopes of salvation now gone from him. We had the first confrontation in the Cabin just last week, but this is the final moment when the captain turns his back on his people, hardly listening to them as he leads the Pequod to their doom. I know it was present throughout the novel, but this scene of Ahab’s final soliloquy before The Chase felt the most like Shakespearean tragedy as we, with Starbuck, just want him to stop, but we know it won’t happen, and can only watch as he broods over his so-called fate, questioning whether he even has any agency or he’s just a puppet of God:

“Is Ahab, Ahab? Is it I, God, or who, that lifts this arm? But if the great sun move not of himself; but is an errand-boy in heaven; nor one single star can revolve, but by some invisible power; how then can this one small heart beat; this one small brain think thoughts; unless God does that beating, does that thinking, does that living, and not I” (592).

In giving up his agency, claiming that it may just be that God is moving him on this path, Ahab is reassuring himself that this is just the way it has to be. If the great sun that allows us to live doesn’t have control over it’s actions, then why should Ahab’s small heart and brain have any power? So Ahab assigns himself to what he believes to be his fate, despite the consequences it will have for the people he is responsible for. Placing the responsibility on a higher being is a way for him to excuse his actions that he knows will not bear the fruit he wants (where have we seen that before?) Despite the countless warnings and pleas from other ships (and Starbuck) and ill omens and prophecies, Ahab, or rather God, in his eyes, cannot be moved. By assuming divinity, Ahab prevents any alteration towards a better outcome for the nation state of the Pequod, leaving the people “blanched to a corpse’s hue with despair” (593).

Ahab & Starbuck

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The chapter I am focusing on is chapter 109, “Ahab and Starbuck in the Cabin.” This chapter shows us an interaction between Captain Ahab and Starbuck; like most of their interactions before, we really get to see the differences between the two characters, noting that neither one of them is fond of the other.

One quote that stood out to me this chapter came from Starbuck when leaving Ahab’s cabin: “Thou hast outraged, not insulted me, sir; but for that I ask thee not to beware of Starbuck; thou wouldst but laugh; but let Ahab beware of Ahab; beware of thyself, old man’ ” (Melville 518). I found this warning to be fascinating, and something that could be noted as foreshadowing. After writing my first essay about the dangers of a leader such as Captain Ahab, I enjoy reading the parts of the novel where Starbuck calls him out for his delusions and corrupt leading. I truly believe that Ahab will be the downfall of both himself and the Pequod, there is no doubt that his obsession and anger will cause trouble for the rest of the crew members later on in the novel.

This chapter, although pretty short, gives us good insight into the relationship between Ahab and Starbuck, and we are able to see that not much has changed since the beginning. It will be interesting to see how their relationship will continue to play out the more the novel progresses and the more wild and crazy Captain Ahab becomes.

incorruption found within the heart of decay

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There were a number of parts from this most recent reading that struck me – I wondered if, perhaps, Pippin from Lord of the Rings was partially named for Pippin in Moby Dick. Both are known to be young, somewhat fearful, and thrust into a dangerous voyage that they may not have necessarily signed on for. They are also particularly clumsy, eliciting anger and frustration from their superiors.

Yet the part that interested me from an academic standpoint was Chapter 92, Ambergris. “Now that the incorruption of this most fragrant ambergris should be found in the heart of such decay; is this nothing?” (448) This passage, while referencing the thick, waxy stuff found within decaying whales, can apply too to the story of Moby Dick and the characters within it. The procurement of the Ambergris was duplicitous, the urgency from Ahab to continue forward on their journey despite the valuable find was further proof of his abandonment of their financial goals for this trip. Despite the harrowing nature of the journey, despite the questionable nature of Ahab and the cruelty expressed by crewmen such as Stubb, Ishmael and Queequeg are the ambergris of the ship – the incorruptible pieces found within the heart of decay.

As another aside, I have been listening to this https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=aNpA6yRene0&si=q_8oCmRmJK9RLytG while reading the novel and have found it to properly put me into the mindset of being on the Pequod. I wanted to share it for the others that may need to listen to something while they read.

Week 9

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In chapter 44, Melville highlights the negative effects obsessing over the past has on a person’s mental health by Ishmael’s narration of how Ahab’s obsession over the whale is causing him to spiral more into madness. Ishmael says, “God help thee, old man, thy thoughts have created a creature in thee; and he whose intense thinking thus makes him a Prometheus; a vulture feeds upon that heart for ever; that vulture the very creature he creates” (Melville 220). Here, Ishmael is observing the fact that Ahab’s obsession of killing the whale is consuming him from within. Ahab is a monster in the making right in front of everyone’s eyes. This suggests that Ahab’s fixation on revenge has shaped his inner self, how his thoughts became the very reason for his suffering. Melville here is showing how when the mind is trapped in an endless cycle of vengeance, it becomes a saboteur of the individual.

Prometheus is from Greek Mythology and his story was he defied the gods and his punishment (which is what’s mentioned) is he was chained to a rock where a bird would eat his liver which would then regenerate overnight, only for the same thing to keep happening. And with the comparison to Prometheus, Melville shows how Ahab’s obsessive thoughts are becoming his own punishment, one that feeds at him endlessly. Ahab’s torment is self created and it is causing him to spiral more into insanity. When one cannot let go of the past, it can become their own destroyer. As seen with Ahab, his obsessive thoughts are ruining his mental state and physical state. His bad state is so noticeable that his crewmates, like Ishmael, are able to point it out. Also seen in earlier chapters, other crewmates also point out Ahab’s madness. This shows how people are able to recognize the negatives of obsessing over the past and how it leads to self destruction

The curse of overthinking

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Chapter 44, “The Chart,” gives us some insight on Ahab’s plan to find Moby Dick. He is obssessively charting a course for the Pequod that may guarantee them an encounter with the whale, but there are too many variables. We also get insight into Ahab’s fixation and how it shapes his every waking (and dreaming) moment. His thoughts are about Moby Dick alone and he is slowly consumed by them. In page 220, Melville writes, “God help thee, old man, thy thoughts have created a creature in thee; and he whose intense thinking thus makes him a Prometheus; a vulture feeds upon that heart for ever; that vulture the very creature he creates.” The mention of Prometheus is an interesting one because it highlights the consuming quality of fire, something that is evidently going on in Ahab’s mind. However, recalling the story of Prometheus, he was punished for defying the gods and giving fire to humanity, which caused him to be tortured for eternity. This chapter is presumably in Ishmael’s point of view, which means that choosing this reference purposefully paints Ahab in a heroic and tortured light, although Ahab is clearly helping no one in madly chasing the whale. Ishmael has started idolizing Ahab, specifically starting from the moment he agreed to the crazed chase for the whale, and now sees him as a type of mad intellectual, tragically cursed for thinking too much. Additionally, in the story, an eagle would eat Prometheus’ liver every night, which is parallel to the passage above, only for Ahab it’s “a vulture that feeds upon that heart forever,” and the vulture is a creature of his own making. This part is evidence that Ishmael does recognize Ahab’s part in his own suffering, and he pities him, but the tone in which he describes this still paints Ahab in a poetic light and as a kind of victim. As Ahab becomes increasingly fixated on catching the whale, Ishmael observes in wonder and admiration.

Essay 1: Authority, Self-Awareness, and Obsession

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In the 19th century, authority at sea was absolute. The captains had the say in everything, and this unchecked power was a matter of life or death. Being able to lead means understanding your people’s capabilities, and in a whaling ship, the boat’s life are the shipmates, like organs in a body. As the brain, Ahab from Moby-Dick knows this, but instead, he uses his position to satisfy his vengeance and obsession. When Starbuck questioned Ahab’s pursuit, Ahab saw it as a motivation. He calls himself “demoniac” and “madness maddened,” revealing his self-awareness as part of his insanity rather than a barrier. Ahab turns his madness into justification for his actions as captain.

Ahab’s self-awareness enables his rationality to make obsessive decisions, turning his authority as captain into an outlet for vengeance. In chapter 37, Sunset, Ahab was sitting alone in his cabin, staring out the windows, when he pondered, “They think me mad—Starbuck does; but I’m demoniac, I am madness maddened! That wild madness that’s only calm to comprehend itself!” (Melville, p. 183). The sentence “They think me mad—Starbuck does…” shows Ahab acknowledging how people see his craziness, but instead of denying it, he redefines it. By saying, “I’m demoniac, I am madness maddened!” he is claiming a higher, almost supernatural-like, form of madness. Melville’s choice of using repetition and the word “demoniac” shows how Ahab consciously justifies his abuse of authority with madness. He portrays how someone under emotional obsession can be dangerous regardless of clarity. In the phrase, ”That wild madness that’s only calm to comprehend itself,” that calmness is not sanity but a moment of control inside insanity. Ahab acknowledges the chaos he controls rather than resists. He understands he became the embodiment of absurdity, insanity, vengeance, and obsession, and he lets it all define him. Such madness isn’t blinding Ahab; it sharpens his vision. He clearly sees what he’s doing and he still chooses destruction.

What does that have to do with life or death? Simple: if madness himself is the brain, the rest of the body is obliged to follow it. You are reading this essay because you want to understand my insight, and just now you may have been wondering what authority, obsession, and self-awareness have to do with anything, or maybe you just came here to find something to talk about in the reply section. Whatever your reason for being here, you wouldn’t have been able to if your fingers, blood, and/or nervous system refused to obey. The same goes with captains: their team, or in the context of Moby Dick, their crew would not be able to do anything without a voice to follow. However, there would be a little voice in the mind that goes against their wishes. For Ahab, that little voice of reason is Starbuck. When Ahab thought, “They think me mad–Starbuck does,” he isn’t rejecting the warning. This is the first domino to fall before the ship’s fate: as the more these two bicker, the higher chance the ship would split before Moby Dick the whale is back in the action. This reveals how obsession overrides reason and sets the crew to an inevitable downfall. The type of captain matters far more than being charismatic, and much like the captains, leadership in the historical and modern context are just as vulnerable to emotions.

During that time, royalty and those that could taste that similar power were often indulging in said power. Melville’s warning still resonates today: a leader driven by obsession leads their followers to ruin. Our politics, our social circles, our families, our social media circles like influencers, there is a reason why there are followers. For Captain Ahab, his followers are the crew of the Pequod, and with one incentive, he managed to convert regular sailors and whalehunters into soldiers to do his bidding. This is what Melville criticizes about authority: awareness without restraint, paired with obsession, is just another form of power that can destroy the very people meant to be protected.

Ahab: His Mission, God’s Abandonement, and a Man’s Worldview Threatened

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Ahab’s biblical mirrors to king Ahab, is a humbling reminder that men can be abandoned, or punished by god. Despite the social constructions of hierarchy and power, men can still be the victims of the fragile patriarchal and monarchical structures they have created. The language Ahab uses to describe himself and his mission explores how despite his charade as the maniacal ruler of the Pequod, he was deeply wounded when he was scorned by God, or Moby Dick, so much so that his soul, his humanity, is in an altered state. The rage that fuels him and his newfound willingness to scorn and attack God, or nature, convey the fragility and desperation of men in power when their patriarchal worldview is threatened.

In Chapter 37, Sunset, he finds a frigid comfort in the security afforded to his position as Captain, which in turn, validates the prophecy that he previously attempted to avoid comparisons to. He muses about the weight of the ‘crown’ he wears: “‘Tis iron –that I know–not gold. ‘Tis split, too–that I feel; the jagged edge galls me so, my brain seems to beat against the solid metal; aye steel skull, min; the sort that needs no helmet in the most brain-battering fight.” Here we have insight into what continues to separate him from the common man, what excuses he tells himself to justify his remaining captain, a position above all other men on board. He is cut from a different cloth, as stated in previous chapters, he too believes he is Ungodly, and Godlike. He is made of Iron metal, and unkillable, but as he states, this position is in direct contrast to his nature.

Ahab has lost all connection and appreciation of nature: “ Oh! Time was when the sunrise nobly spurred me, so the sunset soothed me. No more. This lovely light, it lights not me; all loveliness is anguish to me, since I can ne’er enjoy it. Gifted with the high perception, I lack the low, enjoying power; damned, most subtly and most malignantly! Damned in the midst of Paradise! (182)” He is Surrounded by the beauty and splendor of the open ocean, which seems to have been his heaven on earth, his paradise, but he can enjoy none of it. Ahab is like a dead man walking. He is completely disconnected from God and fueled only by anger and rage, which is focused on Moby Dick. Because his revenge against Moby, is an afront to all nature, he can no longer rejoice and partake in it’s beauty.

Ahab seems to still be surprised that he was removed from his position at the top of the food chain: “it was Moby Dick that dismasted me, Moby Dick that brought me to this dead stump I stand on now(177).” Even though he has long since physically recovered from his injury, and embarked on this new voyage with the sole mission of revenge, he is still somewhat stupefied from the idea that he was humbled in what he excelled at, hunting whales. Ahab’s mission to kill Moby dick, is a mission to dominate God through his attempt to triumph over nature. Not only does he proclaim to see out the prophecy of his own doom, but he continues to scorn god by stating: ““The prophecy was that I should be dismembered; and – Aye! I lost this leg. I now prophecy that I will dismember my dismemberer. Now then, be the prophet and the fulfiller one. That’s more than ye, ye great gods, ever were(183).” By describing losing his leg to the whale as ‘dismasting’ and ‘dismembering,’ we understand that this act by the whale, or by god, threatened his masculinity. His acts of madness, his exertion of force amongst the crew, and intimidation of Starbuck, are paltry attempts by him to restore his masculinity and power through his position at the top of the hierarchy. Starbucks questioning of this mission means nothing to him, when he has already been visibly humbled by nature. 

The biblical comparisons between the doomed King Ahab, the lamentation of the natural, and repetitive emphasis of his dismemberment, serve to emphasise the spiritual fall from grace he has experienced, as well as his disenchantment with worldly conventions of rank, masculinity, and patriarchy. They become only tools for revenge. His crew have a right to feel fearful of him, as his dismantled preconceptions of the world and what he was owed, as a captain, as a strong and virile man, have now been dismantled by a whale. His revenge is not rooted in redeeming himself, or a position in the larger world structure that he no longer believes in, rather he has accepted he has one foot in the grave, and is intent on taking the whale, and his crew with him, as a final hurrah in the face of God. A world that no longer serves him, a man of formerly famed prestige, is not one that he cares to take pleasure in.